How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written Author: Sterling Archer | Language: English | ISBN:
0062066315 | Format: EPUB
How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written Description
From the Back Cover
Hi. I see you’re reading the back of my book. This tells me that you either:
A) are hoping to find a brief summary of what to expect from a how-to book by Sterling Archer, the world’s greatest secret agent, or B) don’t know how books work.
If your answer was “A,” your best bet is probably the table ofcontents, which is where you’ll find the “contents” of this booklisted in a convenient, easy-to-read “table” format. So maybe gocheck that out for a minute and then come back here. I’ll wait. . . .
Pretty cool, right? What other book will teach you how to dressproperly and how to drive an elephant? How to field strip an AK-47and how to haggle with a Thai prostitute—in her native tongue?How to pilot an airboat and how to make about a million deliciouscocktails, including a Molotov one? How to kill a guy and how toprepare a fabulous brunch? Plus how to do tons of other stuff thatI forgot, but that is nonetheless probably in this book (which, to behonest, I really only kinda skimmed).
So if you want to learn more about how to be more—or at all—likeSterling Archer, the world’s greatest secret agent, quit smearing yourgreasy fingerprints all over this book and buy it. For one thing, I reallyneed the royalties. For another thing, the last time I checked, thiswasn’t a damn library.
(Note: If your answer was “B,” this probably isn’t the book you want to start with.)
About the Author
Sterling Archer is the world’s greatest secret agent and nowalso probably a bestselling author. A world-class cocksmanand former all-conference preparatory school lacrosse player,he divides his time among New York City, Monte Carlo, theOrient, several of the classier islands of the Caribbean, andGstaad. This is his first book.
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: It Books; Original edition (January 17, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0062066315
- ISBN-13: 978-0062066312
- Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
"How to Archer" is a companion book to the Adam Reed television show Archer: Season 1, which is an animated series about a spy (Archer) who works for the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). If you are unfamiliar with the television show, I should stop you right here and recommend you watch a few episodes to obtain an understanding of the characters and premise. The book is self-contained and you don't need to be familiar with past plot lines on the show, but you do need to have a basic understanding of Archer or the humor of the book will be mostly lost on you. You need to be able to read the book in Archer's voice to get a real grasp on it and appreciate it. Even the title's awkward non sequitur should jump out at you as "classic Archer" rather than confuse. So if you're a fan of the show, or once you've seen a couple episodes, you're ready to jump in and learn about the most important aspects of being a top ISIS agent - namely getting drunk, having sex with as many women as possible, and picking out the perfect turtleneck for a nighttime stealth mission.
In the tradition of his previous shows, SeaLab 2021 and Frisky Dingo, Reed has created a humorous look at what is presumably a 1960s (though the characters use some modern technology) intelligence agency that is lead by an agent who is arrogant, crass, sexist, egotistical, reckless, and self-serving. He believes he is God's gift to women and the US government, and is ready to share the secrets to becoming a master spy in his new book.
I admit to being an enormous Archer fan, but I still would never give a poorly written stack of regurgitated jokes five stars. This book delivers the laughs, especially if you know anything about the show. Which I do.
But, humor being completely subjective, I still feel compelled to at least dispel a couple shameful myths put forth by other reviewers.
MYTH: "...three out of four jokes are ripped word for word from episodes of Archer..."
FACT: Let's do some math, shall we? Archer states at the start of the book that he's contractually obligated to produce a manuscript of no shorter than 30,000 words and will, therefore, deliver a manuscript of precisely 30,000 words. As I read the book the second time, I highlighted every word I could find that either retold a joke from the show or even so much as referred to a joke from the show. I even highlighted Alex Karras (whom Lana mentions in Archer S1 E10) even though the joke about him is completely different. Total word count on reused jokes: 322. That's 1.073%. So, essentially, the book is 99% new content.
MYTH: This book "substitute[s] rehashed dry jokes for actual information" and is "not much of a guide to anything."
FACT: This is a book by Sterling Archer, so if you're expecting an encyclopedia on the finer points of covert ops, you haven't been paying attention. Spoiler Alert: you won't actually learn how to become an international spy by reading this book. That said, unless you already know the recipe for Green Russians, or the proper way to prepare Eggs Woodhouse, or how to say "Would you like to have sex with me?" in 17 languages (including Portuguese, of course), then I can assure you this book has plenty to teach you.
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